FNS Documents & Resources

This rulemaking serves to amend WIC program regulations by incorporating provisions of the Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022 and making related amendments.

The physical presence waiver, issued under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, allowed WIC state and local agencies to remotely certify participants into WIC during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report summarizes data collected from surveys of WIC state and local agencies about the use of the physical presence waiver and the impact it had on WIC services.

To ensure program integrity, school districts must sample household applications certified for free or reduced-price meals, contact the households, and verify eligibility. This process (known as household verification) can be burdensome for both school officials and households. Direct verification uses information from certain other means-tested programs to verify eligibility without contacting applicants. Potential benefits include: less burden for households, less work for school officials, and fewer students with school meal benefits terminated because of nonresponse to verification requests.

This notice corrects Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, parts 210 to 299, revised as of Jan. 1, 2000, page 285, § 245.6a.